Automatic railway-crossing signal and bar



July 5 1927.

- s. P. SMITH AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSLNG smrm. AND BAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 11. 1924 INVENTOR BY A860 ATTORNEY .1 y 1927 s. P. SMITH AUTOMATIC RAILWAY CROSSING SIGNAL AND BA R Filed July ll. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r H Y v l K Y r v efjii maifi/ INVENTOR ATTORNEY Ell Patented July 5, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAM I. SMITH, 0F CABOT, ARKANSAS.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-CROSSING SIGNAIJ'AND BAR.

Application filed July 11,

One object of my said invention is the provision of an automatic apparatus controlled by an approaching train and adapted when a train reaches a point in proximity to a railway crossing to signal the approach of the train at the crossing, the signal element being adapted after the train has traversed the crossing to return to idle position.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus of the kind indicated in which the signal member is utilized to constitute a bar at the crossing.

Other objects and practical advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following des ription and claim when the same are read in connection with the drawings, accompanying and forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is an elevation illustrating the arrangement of the preferred embodiment of my invention relative to a railway and a crossing transfer.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail View illustrating the motor of my improvement and I means for establishing and interrupting connection between the said motor and the movable signal member of my improvement.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sect-ion taken in the plane indicated by the line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 1 is an enlarged detail section showing the stop for the movable signal member. v

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View illustrative of the electric connections employed in the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings. p

In Figure 1, I show a railway 1 intersected by a crossing 2 and at opposite sides of the crossing 2 I arrange uprights 3, upon which is supported a roof't, Figures 1 and 3. The said roof 4 is inclined in the direc tion of its length as is also a drag rod 5 disposed under and in parallelism to the roof 5 and interposed between and supported by the uprights 8.

At 6, I illustrative a signal member, equipped at 7 with wheels journaled between the forked upper end of spaced arms and arranged and adapted to travel on the rod 5. The said signal member may be of any type compatible with the broad purpose of my invention, though I prefer to have it comprise 1924. Serial No. 725,468.

a body arranged in a frame which has its end portions secured to the arms and said body 7 bears an appropriate legend such as the word Stop indicated by 8, and spaced rods X are connected to and depend from the body 6 as shown. Manifestly when the sig- I nal member 6 is characterized as stated, the said signal member 6 when positioned as shown in fulllines in Figure 1 will serve as a signal and also as a bar calculated to discourage persons from attempting'to cross the railway 1. When the signal member (3 isnioved to the said position shown in Figure said member 6 will bring up against and will be stonoed by the stop member 9 which is i as being adjustably fixed y a set scrc 10 to the rod 5. When the signal memo r (5 after being moved to the pet ion shown by full lines in Figure 1 is released the said signal member will gravitate to the idle position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1.

Appropriately support-ed as by one of the uprights 3 is a casing 11, Figures 1 and 2, and in the said casing 11 is arranged an electric motor 12, Figures 2'and 5, the said motor 12 being of any construction or type compatible with the purpose of my invention. The armature shaft of the motor 12 is connected by gearing 13 with a shaft 14 on which is arranged a friction disk 15, the said disk 15 being mounted to turn with the shaft 1 1 and to move in the direction of the length of the said shaft 1 1. The said shaft 1 1 also carries a fly wheel 16, and centrifugal governor weights 17 the said weights being carried by spring arms or strips 18 which are connected at 19 to the fly wheel, 16 or to an appropriate member of the shaft 14, and are connected at 20 to, the hub of the friction disk 15. The motor 12 is shown in Figure 5 as arranged in a normally open electric circuit which includes not only the motor 12, but incandescent electric lamp 21, a source of electric energy 22, and rail sect-ions 23 and 24- arranged in a block insulated at 25 from the remainder of the rails. The block alluded to will be located at an appropriate distance from the crossing, and hence when no train is in the block the signal member 6 will rest in the idle position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1. lVhen, however, a train is in the block as designated by 26 in Figure 2, the electric circuit will be completed through the wheels and an axle of the train as shown in Figure 5, and hence the motor 12 will be energized for the rotation of the shaft 14 and the friction disk 15. As soon as the train represented passes out of the block referred to the motor 12 will be deenergized. The lamp 21 is shown in Figure 1 as carried on one of the uprights 3 and as disposed and provided with a reflector 22 so as to illuminate the signal member 6 when said member 6 is in working position. From this it follows that my novel signal will serve etliciently in the night time as well as in the day time.

Connected at to the signal member 6 is a cable 31 that is carried through an opening 32 into the casing 11, and is connected to and adapted to be wound upon a drum 33 mounted to rotate in a )propriate bearings in the casing 11 and fixed with respect to a fly wheel 34 and a friction disk 35, the latter being disposed at right angles to the disk 15 and being preferably arranged in the relation illustrated thereto. From this it follows that when the electric motor is energized as before stated and the shaft 11.4- is rotated, the centrifugal means described will operate to move the friction disk 15 into engagement with the friction disk 35, whereupon the cable 31 will be taken up on the drum 33 and the signal member 6 will be moved from the position shown by dotted lines in Figure 1, to the position shown by full lines in said figure. When the signal member 6 brings up against the stop member 9 the frictional. contact between the disk 15 and the disk 35 will serve to retain the signal member 6 in said position, and this notwithstanding the disk 15 will slip against the disk 35. On deenergization of the motor 12 the spring arms or strips 18 will thrust the disk 15 out of engagement with the disk 35, whereupon the signal member 6 will gravitate and travel from the position shown by full lines in Figure 1 to the idle position shown by dotted lines in said figure.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that my novel signal is reliable in operation, and is entirely automatic and under the control of a train approaching the crossing, the presence of the train on the block being always attended by the movement of the signal member 6 in the position shown by full lines in Figure 1 and the passage of the train from the block being always followed by the movement of the signal member 6 from the full line'position shown in Figure 1 to the dotted line position.

I have specifically described the preferred embodiment of my invention in order to impart an exact understanding of said em-' bodiment and all of its details. I do not desire, however, to be understood as conf'nr ing myself to the specific construction and relative arrangement of parts as set forth inasmuch as my invention is defined by my appended claim, and within the scope of the said claim changes or modifications may be made without involving departure from my invention.

l-iaving described my invention, what. I claim and desire to scour. by LQlTiK-BlS-Pdl'llll, is

In a crossing safety device, the combination of uprights arranged at opposite sides of a crossing, a drag rod secured between said uprights at their upper ends, a gravitational s' ial membe movable on said rod in the diiection of the length thereof and to and from position in coincidence with the crossing, said signal member including a frame, a body mounted in said frame, arms having forked upper ends and having their lower ends secured to the opposite portions of said frame, wheels journaied in the forked ends of said arms and mounted on said rod, a stop on the rod for limiting the movei'nent of the member in one direction, means controlled by a train approaching the crossing for actuating said means for moving said member against the action of gravity and to operative position against said stop, illuminating means carried by one upright in confronting relation with said signal only when the=latter is in its operative position and being illuminated when said signal is in said position.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature.

SAM P. SMITH. 

